Apparatus for punching a data carrier such as a tape

ABSTRACT

A hand punching apparatus for translating information into a punched tape, comprising a base plate, a shaft secured to the base plate and carrying a plurality of coding disks stacked one above the other and each having information carrying notches and teeth cut along a peripheral portion thereof and a fine teeth segment along an opposite peripheral portion thereof to cooperate with a stop to fix a tooth in aligned position with a punch member, a lever attached to each coding disk for rotating each disk individually about the shaft when the stop is rendered inoperative, a plurality of punch members arranged in a matrix form and each line cooperating with the teeth of a disk so that a single disk will affect punching one line of holes in the tape, while a punching member extending into one of the notches will thereby be prevented from causing a perforation.

United States Patent Binder et al.

[54] APPARATUS FOR PUNCHING A DATA CARRIER SUCH AS A TAPE [72]Inventors: Wolfgang Binder, Kyritz; Hasso Kalkre u t h, S tolpe/uberNeustadt; Josef Glaser, Leubnitz near Werdau;

Gunter Fahrenkrug, Alt eater, all

of Germany [73] Assignee: VEB Kombinat Mess-und Regelung- P werkMasindus ie Werda, es ey, Geese! [22] Filed: July 8, 1970 [21] Appl. No.:53,043

2,177,788 10/1939 Ross ..234/99 7/1961 Fender et al ..234/99 X Byme..234/99 Primary Examiner-James M. Meister Attorney-Nolte and Nolte s7ABSTRACT A hand punching apparatus for translating information into apunched tape, comprising a base plate, a shaft secured to the base plateand carrying a plurality of i coding disks stacked one above the otherand each having information carrying notches and teeth cut along aperipheral portion thereof and a fine teeth seg ment along an oppositeperipheral portion thereof to cooperate with a stop to fix a tooth inaligned position with a punch member, a lever attached to each codingdisk for rotating each disk-individually about the shaft when the stopisrendered inoperative, a plurality of punch members arranged in a matrixform and each line cooperating with the teeth of a disk so that a singledisk will affect punching one line of holes in the tape, while apunching member extending into one of the notches will thereby beprevented from causing a perforation.

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SHEET l [1F 5 ATTORNEYS PA'TENTED OCT 3 1 I972 SHEET 5 0F 5 ATYORNEYSAPPARATUS FOR PUNCHING A DATA CARRIER SUCH AS A TAPE FIELD OFTHEINVENTION The invention concerns a hand punch for punching a datacarrier, particularly a punched tape, where mechanically operatedpunches cannot be used as a rule.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Presently known hand punches are notsuitable for i feeding several data simultaneously to a punched tape orfor reading them on a punched tape. Usually only one type of informationis put in and the holes are as a rule punched individually one after theother. This method of operation is very cumbersome and time-consuming,however, and is only applicable for theproduction of short punchedtapes.

Very complicated punching machines are known which are susceptible totrouble and which are not suitable for use in the field. Hand operatedpunches are also known with which one type of information can be punchedata time. In practice, however, there is frequently a need to be able tofeed and store several data originating from one recording objectsimultaneously.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The objective of the present invention is toprovide a hand punch with which the simultaneous 'feeding and storage ofseveral data on a punched tape is possible.

This is achieved according to the presentinvention by the provision ofseveral rotating cam disks, which can be manually adjusted by means oflevers and which are so arranged in superimposed fashion over each otheron the base plate of thepunch that each cam disk extends in the line ofaction of punch dies of a special stamping unit for making the rows ofholes in a'tape. In a punching operation, a number of data becomespunched into the punched tape depending on the number of superimposedcam disks and on a certain position of the cams with respect to thepunch dies of the stamping unit. The operating lever for the stampingunit is so arranged that a feeding mechanism becomes tensioned and arelease pawl for the feed of the punched tape is connected thereto.

The cam disks of a certain size and dimension, designed according to acertain code, are so designed that cams arranged according to a certainsystem are provided only on a segment adjoining the stamping unit. Theopposite segmenthas a toothing with a certain division. This toothing isengaged by elastic locking pins to lock the cam disks exactly relativeto the punch dies extending in the line of action of the cams.Corresponding partial segments are provided for securing the necessarylevers on the cam disks for the preselection of the required combinationon the basis of an uncoded numbered scale on the top side of the punch.

The hand punch according to the present invention is simple anduncomplicated in its design. By varying the number of cam disks each ofwhich can be adjusted by hand over levers, and by anappropriateexchangeable control scale provided with uncoded characters,the apparatus can be used for all possible cases where several data mustbe recorded going into or originating BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe invention will become more readily apparent from the followingdetailed description of a preferred embodiment, shown, by way ofexample, in the accompanying drawing; in which:

FIG. 1 is a simplified cross-section illustration of the punch inelevation and partly in vertical section;

FIG. 2 is a detail view of the feeding device according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is an illustration of the code unit and of the stamping unit in aplan view;

FIG. 4 shows a detail of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a control scale used in the preferredembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the die unit;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the die unit of FIG. 6 taken along line7-7; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional and partial view of the die unit of FIG. 7 takenalong line 8---8.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to FIG. 1 it isseen that a punching apparatus illustratedin a simplified mannercomprises a housing 30, enclosing a base plate 1. A tape stamping unit 4is mounted on the top of the plate 1. A paper tape 6 to be punchedextends from a tape supply unit 31, through the stamping unit 4, whereit is perforated, and thence to a winding mechanism 8. The supply unitis mounted on the stamping unit 4, and the winding mechanism is mountedon the bottom of the plate 1. A

plurality of coded cam discs 2 which carry the desired information in amanner hereinafter described, are mounted for rotation about a shaft 15extending up wardly from base plate 1. The cam discs 2, one of which canbe seen in FIG. 3, have a cam carrying segment 11 in which notches andteeth 5 are formed according to the desired information to be punched ontape 6. Another peripheral portion 12 of each disc 2 is provided withfine teeth 13 adapted to engage a stop means 14 so that the cam disc maybe securely held at a predetermined position with the notches and teeth5 in alignment with punching members 3 of the stamping unit 4 accordingto a programmed operation. The stop means 14 is spring biased as shownin FIG. 3. Each cam disc 2 is provided with a program lever or handle 10for rotating its respective disc 2, and as more clearly seen in FIG. 1,such program handle 10 of each cam disc 2 protrudes vertically through acontrol scale 16, individually shown in FIG. 5. The scale 16 is providedwith a plurality of circumferential slots through which the programlevers 10 extend. The program levers 10 follow the configuration of theslots in scale 16 which causes the associated disc 2 to rotate and toalign its information carrying notches and teeth 5 with the punchingmembers 3,-as hereinafter described. Scale 16 can be made with anydesired number of slots to accommodate accordingly a certain number ofprogram handles each associated with a separate cam disc 2. Scale 16indicates the particular operation of the punching and may be providedwith suitable indicia indicating the positions of the levers l and hencethe data which is to be punched into tape 6. The stamping unit 4-has aplurality of punch dies 3 arranged in rows and columns as moreparticularly seen in FIGS. 6 and 7 and their number is selected toaccommodate a predetermined width of tape and to punch informationtherein along its entire width. The individual punch dies, two of whichare more clearly shown in FIG. 4, are

. mounted in recesses 17 formed in a guide plate 19. A

so-called matrix or bottom die member 18 cooperates the guide plate andtape 6 passes between the plate 19 and the die member 18. The bottom diemember 18 is fixedly secured to the guide plate 19 and is forced upwardby a transmission lever 43 which urges a pin 44 through a hole in themember 4 against a block 90 abutting the member 18. By the action oftransmission lever 43 and pin 44 the punching members 3 are forcedagainst the tape 6. The stamping unit 4 is actuated by pressing down anoperating lever 33 (FIG. 1) which forces the transmission lever to theright by means of a connecting link 34 (FIG. 1). This is turn forces thepin 44 together with the guide plate 19 and the bottom die 18 toward camdiscs 2. The punching member 3 follows the plate 19 through thismovement, unless they are aligned with teeth on their respective cams 2.Any punching members which are so aligned, however, are held so thattheir ends are forced through the tape 6 when the member 19 and dieplate are moved.

Of course, it should be appreciated that the abovedescribed movement ofthe guide plate forces the punching members of each row and columnagainst corresponding teeth in every disc 2 in the stack, since eachdisk is aligned with a corresponding row of the punching members 3 shownin FIGS. 6 and 7. Punching of a hole occurs only if a tooth 5 happens tobe aligned with the particular punching member 3, while in the contrarycase, the forward movement of the guide plate 19 and of the punchingmembers 3 therewith, results in no punching since the punching member 3remaining inactivated, assumes a position as shown by the dashed line inFIG. 4. The operating lever 33 and the guide plate 19 along with thematrix 18 are returned to the initial position by the spring 36 providedon pin 44, against the force of which, as described above, the operatinghandle 33 acted. The lever 43 is pivotally mounted to member 4 by anysuitable means.

In order to'provide for the stripping, that is removal of the punch dies3 from the tape 6 and to thus permit the unimpeded forward movement ofthe perforated tape 6, a return strip 21 shown in FIGS. 4 and 7 isprovided which returns the punching dies 3 in their initial positionafter the punching has been performed, that is return strip 21 pulls thepunching dies 3 out of the perforated tape 6. A return strip 22 alsoseen in FIGS. 4 and 7 and which along with strip 21 are placed in arecess 20 assures that the punching members 3 are returned to theirposition as shown in FIG. 4. The return strip 22 is fixedly mounted withthe guide plate 19, and the return strip 21 is fixedly mounted to member4, as shown in FIG. 8. As can be seen in FIGS. 6 8, the member 4 isU-shaped, and is adapted to be fixedly held to plate 1. Pins 92 areaffixed to the member 4 to guide the block 90, plate 19 and die member18, for sliding movement within the member 4. The block 90 has a recess93 facing the die member 18, so that paper waste from the punchingoperation can be removed by way of a chute 45 coupled to the recess. Asshown in FIG. 1, the chute 45 may extend externally of the device.

The operating lever 33 is pivoted on an axis 94 fixed with respect toplate 1. When the operating lever 33 is pressed down a plate 40 is movedagainst the action of a torsion spring 41 into a starting position bymeans of a tension lever affixed to the lever 33. The lever 7 engages apin 39 (FIG. 1)on plate 40 and forces the plate to pivot clockwise untilthe pin 39 engages and is held by a release pawl 9 (as shown in dottedlines). When the lever 33 is released the lever 7 returns to its initialposition, due to the force of spring 36 on pin 44 acting on lever 43.The back side (FIG. 1) of the lever 7 is provided with a projection 95(shown in dashed lines) that engages a forwardly extending projection 96on the release pawl 9, so that the release pawl is pulled out of the wayof the pin 39 when the punch dies are pulled out of the punched tape 6,thereby permitting the plate 40 to rotate counterclockwise to itsoriginal position due to the force of spring 41. This rotation of theplate 40 is coupled, by any conventional ratchet means (not shown) tothe star wheel 28 (FIG. 2) of the tape feeding mechanism 8, to effectthe forward feed of the tape The tape feeding mechanism 8 of thepunching apparatus includes a star wheel 28 rigidly connected with asupply wheel 24. The above-mentioned ratchet mechanism acting on thestar wheel 28 causes forward feeding of the tape 6. The feed wheel 24 isso designed (FIG. 2) that a belt 25 is driven thereby and which acts ona take-up spool 23 and winds the punched tape 6 on it. The feed wheel 24is loosely mounted on a fixed shaft 42 behind the plate 40, and hence isnot visible in FIG. 1. By an appropriate selection of the belt 25 lengthand of the shaft distance of the carrying wheels a certain slip isobtained which compensates the transmission ratios varying during thewinding operation. The feed wheel 24 carries a plurality of pins 26thereon the number of which is always an integral multiple of the numberof cam discs 2. The number of lobes 27 of the star wheel 28 must beequal to this integral multiple.

A counter-mechanism 29 and 38 (FIG. 3) is coupled through a lever 37 tothe transmission lever 43, and each time the transmission lever becomesdepressed through the operation of lever 33, the counter 29, 38 isactuated by lever 37. As a result, the number of holes punched can bereliably counted. If desired, the counter can be arranged to control theoperation of the entire punching apparatus by connecting appropriatefeedback control circuits thereto.

From the above, it is apparent that although the invention has beendescribed hereinbefore with respect to a certain specific embodimentthereof, it is evident that many modifications and changes may be madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, by theappended claims, we intend to cover all such modifications and changesas fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What we claim is:

' 1. Apparatus for translating information into a carrier such as apunched tape, comprising a base plate, a shaft secured to said baseplate and extending therefrom, a plurality of coding disks havingnotches and teeth along a peripheral portion thereof and a fine teethsegment along an opposite peripheral portion thereof, stop meanscooperating with said fine teeth segment, lever means individuallyattached to each coding disk for rotating each disk individually aboutsaid shaft when said stop means are inoperative, perforating meanscomprising an actuating lever and a plurality of punching membersarranged in lines in transverse directions, each line of punchingmembers cooperating with said notches and teeth of a disk so that asingle disk will affect punching one line of holes in said tape, andwhereby a punching member cooperating with a tooth will cause aperforation while a punching member extending into one of said notcheswill thereby be prevented from causing a perforation, and means foradvancing said information carrier past the punching members.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein an operating scale means isprovided for engagement with predetermined ones of the levers of saidplurality of disks and causing movement of said levers about said shaft.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said perforating meanscomprises a guide plate for guiding said punching members and a diemember fixedly secured to said guide plate and movably supported withrespect to said punching members, means for returning said punchingmembers in a rest position after a punching operation.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising a driving roller for saidtape and a take-up roller for receiving said tape when punched, beltmeans coupling said rollers and providing a predetermined slip forcompensating for translating differences during the winding operation.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said driving rollercomprises a plurality of peripheral pins the number of which is anintegral multiple of the member of said plurality of coded disks, saiddriving roller comprising a star wheel having a number of teethcorresponding to said integral multiple.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein counter means are providedfor counting the number of punched holes.

7. Apparatus for punching a tape with coded information comprising aplurality of coding discs selectively rotatable on a common axis, amatrix of punching dies aligned with said coding discs whereby eachcolumn of each dies is aligned with a separate disc, the periphery ofsaid discs having a plurality of teeth separated by notches, means forfeeding said tape into said matrix of dies, means urging said matrixtoward said discs whereby the movement of dies aligned with teeth'onsaid discs is inhibited and said last mentioned dies perforate saidtape, a separate operating lever connected to each said disc forrotating the respective disc about said common axis, a scale having aplurality of arcuate slots, and a separate manually operable handleconnected to each said lever and extending in a direction parallel tosaid axis through a separate slot, a plurality of said handles beingspaced different distances from said axis.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said means urging said matrixcomprises a manually operable lever, and said means feeding said tapecomprises means responsive to the operation of said lever for advancingsaid tape subsequent to perforation of said tape and removal of diesfrom said tape.

1. Apparatus for translating information into a carrier such as apunched tape, comprising a base plate, a shaft secured to said baseplate and extending therefrom, a plurality of coding disks havingnotches and teeth along a peripheral portion thereof and a fine teethsegment along an opposite peripheral portion thereof, stop meanscooperating with said fine teeth segment, lever means individuallyattached to each coding disk for rotating each disk individually aboutsaid shaft when said stop means are inoperative, perforating meanscomprising an actuating lever and a plurality of punching membersarranged in lines in transverse directions, each line of punchingmembers cooperating with said notches and teeth of a disk so that asingle disk will affect punching one line of holes in said tape, andwhereby a punching member cooperating with a tooth will cause aperforation while a punching member extending into one of said notcheswill thereby be prevented from causing a perforation, and means foradvancing said information carrier past the punching members. 2.Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein an operating scale means isprovided for engagement with predetermined ones of the levers of saidplurality of disks and causing movement of said levers about said shaft.3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said perforating meanscomprises a guide plate for guiding said punching members and a diemember fiXedly secured to said guide plate and movably supported withrespect to said punching members, means for returning said punchingmembers in a rest position after a punching operation.
 4. Apparatus asclaimed in claim 1, comprising a driving roller for said tape and atake-up roller for receiving said tape when punched, belt means couplingsaid rollers and providing a predetermined slip for compensating fortranslating differences during the winding operation.
 5. Apparatus asclaimed in claim 4, wherein said driving roller comprises a plurality ofperipheral pins the number of which is an integral multiple of themember of said plurality of coded disks, said driving roller comprisinga star wheel having a number of teeth corresponding to said integralmultiple.
 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein counter means areprovided for counting the number of punched holes.
 7. Apparatus forpunching a tape with coded information comprising a plurality of codingdiscs selectively rotatable on a common axis, a matrix of punching diesaligned with said coding discs whereby each column of said dies isaligned with a separate disc, the periphery of said discs having aplurality of teeth separated by notches, means for feeding said tapeinto said matrix of dies, means urging said matrix toward said discswhereby the movement of dies aligned with teeth on said discs isinhibited and said last mentioned dies perforate said tape, a separateoperating lever connected to each said disc for rotating the respectivedisc about said common axis, a scale having a plurality of arcuateslots, and a separate manually operable handle connected to each saidlever and extending in a direction parallel to said axis through aseparate slot, a plurality of said handles being spaced differentdistances from said axis.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said meansurging said matrix comprises a manually operable lever, and said meansfeeding said tape comprises means responsive to the operation of saidlever for advancing said tape subsequent to perforation of said tape andremoval of dies from said tape.